Second Chances The Last One To Go
by jtbwriter
Summary: When members of Rick’s high school class die or disappear from a surprise reunion, Rick and A.J. try to catch the assailant before they or their families are victims! Dedicated to the fans and Beth T!
1. Chapter 1

Second Chances: The Last One To Go

When members of Rick's high school class die or disappear from a surprise reunion, Rick and A.J. try to catch the assailant before they or their families are victims!

(The characters from Simon & Simon/Six Million Dollar Man are owned by Universal Studios and no profit is being made from them. All original characters are mine..mine mine! You can't play with them!)

"Yeah, you'd better, Doug….You can also call my mom back and tell her to call my father-in-law. I'm glad you thought twice about it. You just stay put and I'll call you once we know something." Rick hung up the phone, then glanced over at his worried brother. "Some reunion..."

"Well, that leaves only Bob, Tim Webb and Margaret Jordan who haven't shown up….We ought to try calling Ron and Abby…." A.J. told him, then the lights in the room went out.

A sudden crash of thunder made Rick jump, and he let out a shaky laugh. "A.J., if I didn't know any better, I'd say this was like one of those spook movies we used to stay up and…"

"Rick!!" A.J. let out a yell, then the sound of a door slamming cut him off. At once Rick pulled out his gun, then called out, "A.J.? A.J.!"

Only the crackle of lightening answered him, the flash illuminating the room enough for the older Simon to see his brother was nowhere in sight.

"A.J. !" Rick hollered again, then the lights went on, and he gasped to see the chair A.J. was sitting in turned over, and his weapon on the floor. A note was on the table, and Rick snatched it up as he went over to the phone on the desk next to the door.

"Hello, Operator…give me San Diego P.D….Hello?" Not even a dial tone sounded, then Rick's worst fears were confirmed as he glanced at the paper in his hand.

"You took from me, I took from you. And you'll be the last to go."

"No…." he gasped, seeing pictures of his brother, Laurie and Linda glued to the note, a red slash across their faces.


	2. Chapter 2

Hands shaking, Rick turned on the transmitter on his watch, then spoke. "Laurie, sweetheart, can you hear me?"

Static crackled, so he switched to their other frequency. Oscar Goldman's voice came on. "Rick, thank God…I just heard from your friend Doug…but. have you seen Laurie?" Rick sat heavily in a chair as he took a deep breath.

"No, Dad…last I heard she and Linda were at the hotel, waiting for you. But she's not answering her transmitter… Did you see them?"

"No, son. I went to the restaurant and they had been called away by a phone call. When I went to the hotel desk, the concierge said Laurie and Linda were met in the lobby by a thin man in a suit and had just left. Ron and Robbie and I just got done looking at the surveillance tape; it shows they were forced into a car at gunpoint. Ron's trying to get a good look at the license plate now." He added.

"Dad…I don't believe this….someone just took A.J… one minute the lights went out, then he yelled, and when the lights came back on…he was gone. All that I found was a note that says "You took from me, I took from you. And you'll be the last to go."…it has Laurie and Linda and A.J.'s pictures on it…with a red line drawn over their faces…." He choked. "I tried to call San Diego P.D….but there's no dial tone…the doors and gate are electrified"

"Hang on Rick…I'm going to have Robbie and Ron come to the estate and break in. Lock yourself in wherever you are and don't move….we'll find them." The older man assured him.

"Dad…tell them to be careful….we don't know what this monsters' ready to do." Rick warned him, then signed off. Again thunder sounded overhead, and for the first time in a while he felt helpless.

"_Laurie…sweetheart..can you hear me? Please answer me…please be alright.." _he "called' out. Covering his face with his hands, he tried to calm down and think of who would have kidnapped not just his family, but five sixty-something people .

"_Come on, Rick….use your head…what started all this?" _

Suddenly he saw in his mind's eye the invitation that arrived in the mail…

"The combined classes of SDHS, 1965-1969, invite you and a guest to a "Classic" weekend at the Gingham Estate, Friday through Sunday" All meals and entertainment included. Please RSVP to Doug Sherman, Class of 1968."

"Well, this sounds like fun…." Laurie took the cream-colored card from Rick as he went through the mail.

"What, you want to spend time with a bunch of old geezers, drinking wine and talking about "the good old days"? Hmmmm?" He ragged, then laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Old geezers, huh.. ..I'm not old, and neither are you, Rick!" she protested, then squealed with delight as he tossed the mail onto a chair and advanced towards her saying "want to have some fun, girlie?" in a creepy old voice.

"Well, you want some fun, you have to come and get it!" she teased, then ran around the room as he chased her. Finally cornering her behind the couch, he pulled her onto the cushions and tickled her.

"Oh, Rick…stop…oh …." Laurie giggled, then put her arms around his neck as he kissed her. "Hmmmm, isn't this fun?" he murmured.

"Yes…oh…darn." She sat up as the phone rang next to them.

"Whoever that is, make 'em go away…" Rick grumbled, then brightened as she picked it up, then smiled.

"Hey Mom, how do you feel?"

"Much better, sweetie. This flu is just nasty…but I'm glad I won't be coming back to 100 degree heat." Cecelia told her, a slight hoarseness still in her voice. Rick sighed, his mother had come down with a nasty summer bug and had decided to stay at his aunt's in San Diego for the rest of the summer.

"Listen, Rick just got an invite to a Class Reunion in a couple of weeks….I was thinking maybe the kids and I might come visit Aunt Annie and you could come back with us." Laurie suggested. At once he smiled.

"That's a wonderful idea, sweetheart….let me talk to Mom."

As she handed the phone to him, a loud yipping at the back door let her know Jack wanted in. "Coming, Jacky!" she called, then dropped a kiss on her husband's cheek as she got up from his lap.

Grinning, he heard a chuckle from the other end of the line as he said, "Hi, Mom….miss me?"

"Yes….it's too quiet without my children…I would like to see you all….Maybe Robin and Ian and the kids could come down too?" she offered, and Rick sensed she missed her routine…and someone else.

"Sure, maybe even Oscar and Rudy could stop by for a weekend too." He mentioned nonchalantly. At once Cecilia laughed.

"Rick, don't ever change! You and Laurie ……all right, I do miss Oscar, and Rudy. Let me call them, there's no one in our rental so they could stay there."

"Now you're talking….what's my cousins up too?" As Rick listened to a story about his former playmates, Laurie came back into the living room, followed by their frisky pet, who promptly saw Rick and jumped into his lap.

"All right, Jack….calm down." He sputtered, trying unsuccessfully to avoid the puppy's wet tongue. Cecilia laughed in the background.

"I see Jack's happy to see his daddy….I'm going to let you go now, son….but I'll call you back to let you know what Annie and your cousins' schedules like. I'll tell Doug's mother you got the invitation and that you'll be coming."

"Thanks, Mom. Talk to you later, and don't forget to take your medicine." Rick added, teasingly.

"Like Annie'd let me forget." She grumbled, then made her goodbyes.


	3. Chapter 3

The next two weeks sped by, as Rick cleared his schedule, then booked 2 hotel rooms for Robin and Ian and their 2 children, then Robbie and Ramona took a three-day weekend and he got another 3 rooms, then A.J. and Linda decided to join in and so they took 4 more hotel rooms.

"Jeez, Rick, why didn't you just take over the Lighthouse Point when you booked?" Abby Johnson ragged, as she stopped by the ranch to pick up her son from his riding lesson with Laurie.

"Didn't know that the kids wanted to come…since the invite said "spouse welcome", I thought just Laurie and I would go…then Doug called and said he was hosting a party after the reunion for everyone's families." Rick grinned as Joey shot out the door of the stable, Jack running after him into the kitchen.

"Joey, what did I tell you about running in people's houses?" Abby scolded her son, then Joey stopped and hugged her.

"Sorry, Mom…but Jack and I are playing tag!" he said excitedly, then picked up the enthusiastic dog and hugged him. "You win, Jack…see you next week."

"It's okay, son….you give him a good workout, now maybe he'll sleep the whole night." Rick chuckled as Jack licked his face.

"One of these days, Joey, you can have your own dog…just as soon as your dad builds him a fence." Abby promised, earning a hug from her son.

"Let me know when Ron needs help, have hammer, will follow!" Rick told her, mussing the teenager's hair. Just then the phone rang, and Laurie came into the kitchen, saying,  
"I'll get it!"

Laurie picked up the receiver, "Simon Residence", then sat at the kitchen table as Rudy Wells voice responded. "Hi, Laurie, how's my girl?"

"I'm good, Rudy…just had a riding lesson with Joey….did you have a good flight?"

Rick snickered as their old friend replied, "Yes, but are my arms tired!"

"Rudy…you're incorrigible….that's so bad!" Laurie giggled. "Did Mom get a hold of you?"

"No, I decided to surprise her, and your Aunt was very helpful. Cecilia thought she was signing for a package, instead she got me! Oscar should be arriving any moment, I think this is one birthday she's really going to enjoy!" Rudy added.

"So do I…Rick and I will be getting to the house about two tomorrow…so we'll be her "surprise" dessert….I'm just glad you guys got there early." She laughed as Rick made a funny face at her, then mouthed, "let me talk to him, darlin'.

"Rick wants to talk to you, so I'll had you off to him so I can say goodbye to my student." Laurie explained, then said goodbye and handed the phone to Rick.

As Abby and Joey said goodbye to him, then followed Laurie out of the room, Rick waited until they were out of earshot, then asked, "Did you and Dad pick up Mom and Laurie's outfits?"

"Sure did, son. You were right, they are perfect for them, as a matter of fact I bought one for Linda too. A.J. found her size and called the shop, so it was there when we stopped by. The girls will love them. By the way, Oscar and I got them each the matching earring sets, it's our gift to them."

"Rudy, you guys are too much…thanks!" Rick was touched by the thoughtfulness.

"No, it's our pleasure, besides, Missy deserves something special, after all her hard work getting back on her feet." Rudy insisted emotionally. "You make sure she rests now, I don't want her back to get inflamed from too much stress."

"I will, Rudy…thanks…. Oh, oh, here she comes," Rick whispered, then said in a louder tone, "Okay, talk to you tomorrow from the road….bye!"

As soon as he hung up the phone, Laurie came back into the kitchen, followed by a yipping Jack.

"Jack…stop that and sit!" Rick ordered, then grinned as the little dog did just that, his tail thumping.

"You are so good, darling….I've got his dinner here, then Rob will come by at 5 when we're ready to leave." Laurie explained, setting Jack's food dish in its place.

"Talk about good, I want you to go sit down, sweetheart. I'm going to fix dinner then it's to bed with you." Rick told her, seeing her stand up slowly. As she opened her mouth to protest, he put his arms around her and kissed her.

"Rick….you are so .." she kissed him back, then smiled as he replied, "handsome, smart?"

"Loving….and so very wonderful." She answered, putting her head against his chest. "I am tired, but it felt so good to ride today. Joey's is growing so tall now…it's hard to believe he's only 14."

"And it's hard to believe Abby and Ron didn't think about getting him a dog before this." Rick sighed, stroking her hair. "I'm glad you had fun with him today, but I want you to put your feet up on the sofa and I'll bring our dinner into the living room."

"Yes, sir." She smiled up at him impishly.

After a good night's rest, both Simons were up at the crack of dawn and on the road to San Diego. As per Rudy's instructions, every two hours Rick would pull over at a rest stop or souvenir stand so he could walk around and Laurie could stretch her back muscles. As they crossed the desert and made their way along the coast, Rick was reminded of the many times he sailed his boat from Baja to San Diego.

"Penny for your thoughts, love."

He smiled, then glanced over at Laurie, the morning sun shining on her red hair.

"I was remembering all the times I went fishing down to Baja, then cruised back up this same way, I'd watch the whales and the dolphins, pull into the harbors of the small towns. This is one of the few things I miss about living in California." He mused, then felt her fingers soft against his cheek.

"I know how much you gave up to move to Arizona, Rick….if ever I knew love, it was through you making the desert our home." Laurie murmured, then her lips were on his cheek. "Thank you, darling."

"Oh, Laurie…" he put his arm around her and pulled over into a scenic parking area.

"Sweetheart, I didn't give up anything….San Diego is good memories, well, mostly good memories. But our family deserved a home….and Silver Rock is our home. I might miss this, " he waved his hand at the ocean and the waves crashing against the shoreline. "But what we have is so much more."

"Truly, Rick?" she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. He kissed her long and lovingly, then breathless, managed to say, "What do you think?"

"I think I love you, and …I want to drive forever with you, but first stop for some brunch!" she replied, giggling as both their stomachs rumbled.

After stopping for a leisurely brunch in Oceanside, Rick made good time to his mother's rental in the hills above Mission Valley. As they parked in back of her garage, he turned on his transmitter and hit send.

"A.J…..it's Rick….is Mom still at Auntie's?"

"Hey, Rick..she just left. She should be there in about 10 minutes. We're right behind her. The cake and ice cream are in the fridge, Linda says."

"Thank Sis for me…we'll put the plates and stuff out, then open the door so we don't scare her to death." Rick told him, then Laurie added, "I've got a piñata too, we stopped in Oceanside at a cute little restaurant and they had some birthday ones there. The kids will love it."

"Sis, she's going to get a kick out of it….thanks! We'll see you in a bit." A.J. replied, then signed off.

Minutes later a familiar sedan parked in front of the house, then Cecilia Simon stepped out, followed by Rudy and Oscar. As they approached the front door, Rick heard his mother say, "Oscar, I didn't leave the front door open….maybe we should…."

"Surprise!" Laurie opened the screen door, then Rick stood behind her, grinning at the look on Cecilia's face.

"Laurie…Rick…you ….when did you get here?"

"About 10 minutes ago, did you think we'd forget your birthday?" he ragged, then hugged her.

"No, son….but you sure had me thinking you'd arrive late…thank you, Rick." She beamed, then embraced Laurie. "I'm glad you two did get here early..wait a minute…" she turned and stared at Oscar and Rudy.

"Is this why you told me we were going out for dessert? You two…." She shook her head, laughing, as Rudy answered, "I didn't say what kind of dessert, did I?"

By the time the rest of the family arrived, a large strawberry and chocolate cake was cut and plated with scoops of ice cream. When all the children sang the "birthday song" in Spanish for her, Cecilia got weepy.

"I can't believe you children planned this….what a wonderful surprise." She wiped her eyes, then smiled as A.J. told her, "The kids wanted to do something special for you, Mom. They learned the words all themselves."

"Well, it's the nicest surprise yet…" Cecilia opened her arms and embraced all of her grandchildren and nieces and nephews. As they were giving her the presents they had made, a knock at the front door caught Rick's ear, and he went to investigate.

As he opened the door, a white envelope caught his eye as it fell to the floor. Picking it up, he saw his and A.J.'s names handwritten on the front.


	4. Chapter 4

"What's that, Rick, someone inviting us someplace?" the younger Simon asked, seeing the note in his brother's hand.

"Don't know…" Rick ripped it open, then scanned the printed card inside. "Hmm, it says a surprise reception has been arranged for tonight at 7pm for Doug Sherman. It asks us to come early "for fun and surprises".

"Where is this Gingham Estate, up in the hills here?" A.J. wondered, flipping the card over only to find it blank.

"Doug said it's in the Mission Point area….about 20 minutes from here. Maybe Rudy and Oscar can ferry the girls to the hotel tonight, then we can join them afterwards."

"That'll work …..I've got my suit in the car, we can change here and have plenty of time to get there." Rick nodded. "Good idea, let me tell Laurie."

"Okay, I'll find Linda." A.J. started, then snickered as his wife came up behind him and put her arms around his waist.

"That was fast!" Rick smirked, then saw Laurie through the kitchen doorway. "You got yours, I'll get mine."

As Cecilia's party broke up, Oscar and Rudy insisted on treating everyone for breakfast.

"We'll meet you all in the Mission Room at the hotel, then we can go to the beach while the guys spend time at their reunion." Oscar explained. At that Andy and Lala cheered, "The beach, yeah!", causing their parents to laugh.

"That figures..all the great things in San Diego to do and see, and you two want the beach!" Robbie chuckled.

"Well, son, just proves they're Simons, after all." Rick came into the living room, earning wolf whistles from Laurie and the other women. At once he pretended to model for them, then A.J. came up from behind and snapped his suspenders.

"A.J….you're not too old to pants!" Rick yelled, chasing his brother around the room.

"Guys, stop that…I want to take a picture before you get all mussed up." Cecilia ordered, making Oscar laugh with her no-nonsense tone.

"Yes Mom." Rick and A.J. stopped in their tracks and instantly posed next to each other. After a couple of pictures, Rick saw it was 6:30, and nudged A.J. "Come on, time to go."

"Okay, Mom, guys, be good for your mom. I'll call you on my transmitter when we're on our way to the hotel, Linny." A.J. kissed her cheek. Noting her look of puzzlement,

Laurie explained, "There's no phone service in the main house, just an intercom system. Doug Sherman told us the owners keep the place exactly as it was during the 1920's."

"Ugh…no thank you." Linda made a face as Laurie turned to Rick. "You be good now, no drinking your brother under the table!"

"Hah! That'll be the day." Rick elbowed A.J.. "Let's make tracks before she finds out about the stripper…."

"You…" Laurie giggled as he kissed her, then put his hat on and followed A.J. out the door.

"_That was the last decent moment of this weekend." Rick thought, then a faint voice echoed in his head._

"_Rick…darling…find us please…"_

"_Laurie!" he called back…then he felt terror…real terror coming from his wife. She faded as fast as he sensed her. "Laurie!"_

_Nothing. As he reached for her, he kept looking out the window of the mansion, now a house of terror for him, his family and……_

"_Wait a minute…..the one person who could have done all this….never saw him, never talked to him….." he thought, then tried to recall, who met them when he and A.J. arrived…._

"Wow….looks like a small version of the Del…" A.J. remarked as Rick pulled up to the estate's entrance. Beside the massive wrought iron doors, a discreet plaque said "Gingham Estate-Built 1920".

"A.J., look for a small button, supposed to press it and announce ourselves." Rick said, then almost jumped as a hollow voice came out of nowhere.

"Good evening gentlemen…."

"What….uh, good evening. We're Rick and A.J. Simon, we're expected."

"One moment." The eerie voice faded, then slowly the iron gates creaked open.

"You have got to be kidding me, this is something like out of the Addams Family…" Rick snickered, turning down the driveway and driving past a series of hideous gargoyles. As he approached the house, a man in a uniform stepped out of the shadows, then pointed toward a building next to the drive, where a garage door instantly popped open.

"I don't believe this place…."A.J. shook his head as they drove into the garage. Locking the car, they found their way out of the building, then walked along a marble pathway to the front door. As they climbed the steps, the glass door opened, and a familiar looking blonde-haired woman stood there.

"Betty? Betty Rogers?" Rick asked, then smiled as she came forward and hugged him.

"Rick Simon, you bad boy….and little A.J….I hoped you guys would come…..get in here and fix me a drink!" She dropped her arms, then linked arms possessively with Rick as they entered an opulent entryway.

A.J. hid a smirk and filed the moment away to tease his brother. "Betty, you look great…how long has it been?" He glanced around then followed them into a small parlor with a wet bar set up.

"Too long, you guys…did your wives come with you?" she asked, then looked disappointed as Rick cleared his throat.

"Sure did, honey. Laurie and Linda will be glad to meet you Sunday at Doug's reception. Say, what time does the guest of honor arrive?"

"I don't know….I thought we were supposed to be here by 7…so Bob won't know it's a surprise!" Rick looked at A.J. then said, "Uh, don't you mean Doug?"

"No…I got an invitation to come early to surprise Bob Clayton." Betty pulled out a cream-colored card identical to theirs.

"Well, looks like someone's having fun with us." Rick recovered, giving her a wink while jerking his head at A.J. "Go have a seat, Betty, and I'll mix you a Sea wave."

"A Sea Wave..ooh, is that a Marine drink?" she simpered, and A.J. rolled his eyes.

Just then there was a knock on the front door, then a timid voice, "Any one here?"

"Oh great, it's Melvin!" Betty dropped the coy tone from her voice and stood up.

"Melvin, stop pussy-footing around and get in here…A.J. and Rick Simon are here!"

A.J. winced as Rick cleared his throat, then handed the half-filled drink to his brother.

"Fix her a Blue Hawaii…she'll never know the difference." he hissed, then went to the parlour door. "In here, Melvin." He called, then came back with a timid, balding man wearing glasses and a bowtie.

"Hey, Rick, A.J….glad to see you guys, hi, Betty." He stammered, then sat down on the sofa next to her.

"Hi, yourself….you worm. You never signed those divorce papers, you know." She yelled, then caught herself. "I mean, Melvin Davis, how can I get my check without your signature?"

"Wait a minute, you guys were married?" A.J. handed her the blue concoction as the other man blushed.

"Yes, we got marr…ied about ten years ago..but…but..it didn't work out. I'm sorry, Betty, I did sign the decree….but I forgot to bring it when I got the invitation to surprise Tim Ski."

"Tim Ski?" A.J. turned to Rick, who explained "Tim Ski is Tim Selenski…he was our star baseball player. He became a pro scout until he came back to coach at SD."

"Yeah…he was always nice to me, like you Rick." Melvin announced diffidently. "Who else is supposed to come?"

"I don't know, isn't Doug in charge of this?" Betty asked, downing her drink in one gulp.

Rick felt a cold sensation in his stomach. "I don't know, I never asked. He was the one we were supposed to RSVP to…"

"Well….look at this lot….what a dump!"

Betty Rogers made a face as Rick laughed. "Arlene…that is the oldest line…come on in!"

A statuesque brunette came in, then both brothers gasped. "Well, don't just stare, ask me what happened?"

In front of them, instead of the girl Rick once dubbed "Queen of the stage", stood a tall, dark-haired man in a silk shirt, wool slacks and loafers.

"Uh, Arlene, I mean, what do we call you?" Melvin stuttered, rising to his feet.

"Artie…I'm just Artie now. Rick, I can't believe you didn't know!" "Artie" pouted.

Swallowing hard, Rick started, "I , well, I did hear you had a messy breakup…" Suddenly A.J. began to laugh.

"Artie, I remember now….you helped bust a phony modeling agency, then you disappeared. You always did things with style."

"Thanks, little A.J….well, not so little now." He winked, then Rick broke up.

"This is too much, okay Artie…who do you think we're surprising?"

"Well, my invite said "Arlene", so I came to see who else was in on the joke." He held out his card, and now Rick saw something was up…

"Well, if whoever planned our reunion, decided to surprise us big time!" Rick forced a smile. "Well, Artie, can you mix some drinks while A.J. and I try to reach Doug?"

"Sure, Mr. P.I….by the way, is that sweet girl you married coming..I really want to talk to her about her books…" Artie grinned, then went behind the bar.

"Thanks..Betty, you and Melvin sit tight." Rick retraced their steps to the entry, then opened the door. As he looked out, he saw another car come through the gates.

"Hopefully that's Doug…if not, we need to get a hold of Laurie and have her call him." Rick told his brother. As the car stopped, then drove into the garage, Rick hit the send button on his transmitter.

"Laurie, darlin', it's Rick."

"Hey, Rick…is everyone there?" she asked.

"Not everyone…as a matter of fact, something funny's going on….hang on a minute." Rick replied, as a stocky man approached.

"Rick?"

As he came into the light of the entry, Rick burst out, "Danny? Danny Martin!"

"Hey, it is you! And…is this A.J.?" the pleasant faced man responded, holding out his hand.

"Yes, it is…how are you?" A.J. stepped forward and shook hands, then saw his brother engulfed in a bear hug.

"God, I hoped you'd be here….I don't usually come to these things..but I had to, just in case my old buddy was here." Martin told them enthusiastically.

"Well, I'm glad you're here, Danny…but I need to know, who did your invitation say was going to be surprised?"

"Why, it says Margaret….don't tell me someone's spoiled the surprise!" he grinned.

"Uh, no…but of everyone else who's here, everyone's cards have a different honoree." Rick said, then showed him their cards. At once Danny shook his head.

"I don't know about this, Rick…..sounds like either a dumb joke..or…."

Just then the lights went out, and immediately Rick heard his wife's voice, "Rick?"

"Sweetheart, something's wrong…I'll call you back." He replied, then put the emergency light on his watch. "Follow me, maybe I can find the breakers…" he began.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

A piercing scream sounded from inside, and the three men fumbled their way into the pitch-dark house. As they came down the hallway, every lamp came back on. A chorus of excited voices greeted them as Rick led the way into the parlor, where he froze in his tracks.

Melvin Davis lay on the rug, blood on his shirt front. Beside him stood Betty Rogers, a poker in her hand.


	5. Chapter 5

"Uh…Betty, what happened?" Rick asked, seeing Artie staring in shock from his place on the sofa.

"I…I don't know. The lights went out, then I felt someone trying to choke me. I grabbed the first thing I could reach…then I hit something. Whoever was trying to choke me let go, …and the lights went on…and there he was." She said mechanically.

"Uh, Artie…did you see anything?" Rick turned to him, then saw awareness come into the other man's eyes.

"No….like Betty said, someone came in the room while the lights were off. I heard a choking noise, then when I tried to help, the lights came on, and Melvin was …"

"Dead." A.J. stood up from checking for a pulse.

"Oh, God…Oh, God..everyone's going to think I did it…..but it was an accident..no…self-defense." Betty started to babble. Rick firmly took her by the arms and made her sit down. "All right, Betty…take a deep breath….no one's accusing you of anything. We need to get a hold of the police….and find out who killed Melvin."

"I'll call Oscar…he can reach the police…" A.J. started, then the sound of a ringing phone startled him.

"I thought there were no phones here…" Rick growled. "I'm going to find out where that is…Artie, you and Danny and Betty lock yourselves in here…we'll be right back."

"Good idea, thanks, Rick." Danny replied, following them to the door. "Here, this might help." He added, handing both Simons a penlight from his pocket.

"Thanks, man…" Rick gave him a pat, then he and A.J. went out the parlor door. As the door was closed behind them, the ringing phone stopped.

"Great…well, lets take this room." Rick went to the first door on the right, opening it to show a bathroom. Flipping on the light, he saw an old fashioned club-footed tub, with toilet and washstand. Backing out, he followed A.J. as he opened the opposite door, then flipped on the lights. The bright lights illuminated a dining room of immense proportions, with a long marbled table set for ten.

"Well, that tells us someone wasn't planning for a large crowd." A.J. said, surveying the room. Seeing no other way out, Rick turned and went further down the hall, opening several other doors, leading to closets, another sitting room, kitchen and finally a library.

As they entered the musty-smelling room, A.J. spotted an old-fashioned phone, and picking it up, heard a dial tone.

"This must be what we heard ringing…let me call the police." He told his brother, dialing 911. As he began to speak to the dispatcher, another scream was heard.

"Give them the address, then follow me, hurry!" Rick told him, then ran back down the corridor. As he came to the front parlor door, he saw it was closed and tried the door. Finding it still locked he pounded on the door.

"Danny, it's Rick, what happened?"

There was no answer, so he pounded it again.

"Rick….I got cut off…what …" A.J. rushed up to him, then gave a swift kick to the door.

At once the door frame splintered, and the door gave way to show the dead body of Melvin Davis….and an empty room, chairs and tables knocked over.

"Damn…" Rick swore, then a crack of thunder sounded over the mansion.

"Rick, I think we'd better get Oscar….go ahead and signal for him…I'll look around."

The older Simon frowned. "A.J…I don't think we'd better split up…someone's gone to a lot of trouble to go after four of our classmates…."

"Rick…we need to find Betty and the guys…I promise not to go too far, okay?"

"All right, but be careful." Rick said, then watched as his brother started checking the walls.

"Laurie, come in, sweetheart." He hit the transmitter button, then got static.

"Darn… A.J…there must be some kind of electrical interference around here." Rick started, then suddenly, an old 50's tune began to play.

"What the….where's that coming from?" A.J. backed away from the alcove he had just discovered. Turning toward the windows, he pulled aside the curtain, only to find a small speaker in the corner of the sill. Locating a wire leading to the wall, he yanked it out, cutting off the vocal in mid-word.

"Someone's trying to tell us something, Rick."

"Well, I don't think much of their tactics…come on, let's get outside and try to get some reception." He said, then headed toward the front door. Opening the door, he groaned as rain poured down in front of them.

"Wait here, I'll get the car, A.J." he told him. Dashing outside, he started for the garage where their car was parked. As he grabbed the handle of the garage door, an electric shock hit him, and he jumped back, shaking his hand.

"A.J….get back into the house, this thing's electrified." He yelled, then A.J. called back,

"The gate…look!"

Rick turned, then saw lightening hit the gate, setting off a small explosion.

Not needing another demonstration, Rick dashed back to the house. As he neared the front door, he saw the metal entry door start to close.

"A.J….back up!" he hollered, then dove through the door just as the entry clanged shut. Instantly a sizzle of sparks went off, and the two brothers quickly backed away from the door.

"Guess we're not leaving right now…." Rick muttered, shivering.

"Good thing you brought a change of clothes, come on, let's see if the phones working again in the library." A.J. suggested, stopping in the now empty parlor and retrieving their bags. Seeing the still body of Melvin, Rick was struck by something odd.

"A.J…..look….the blood on Melvin…doesn't it look kind of ..old?"

Leaning over to look..A.J. straightened up. "You're right…he wasn't killed here, he was killed elsewhere. Let's try to secure the room, then hole up in the library."

"Good idea." Rick acknowledged. As the two of them went down the hallway, they looked in each of the rooms again, but found no sign of the others. As they went past the dining room, however, music started to blare from inside the closed door. As A.J. reached for the knob, Rick slapped his hand away.

"Just in case…" he warned, then took out his wallet and threw it at the door.

As it hit the metal knob, sparks flew and it tumbled to the floor, smoking.

Startled, A.J. looked at his brother. "Thanks, Rick….that would have been me."

"You're welcome, I figured one shock per family's enough." He smirked half-heartedly, cowering inside at the mental pic of what could have happened.

They proceeded into the library, where once again they checked all the doors and windows, then bolted the door.

"Let me try the phone again…but I'm going to find something to pick it up with." Rick decided. Just then the phone rang again, and seeing a cloth doily on one of the dusty chairs, he picked it up, then dropped it on the receiver. Seeing no sparks or smoke, he used the material to lift the receiver. "Hello?"

"Rick? It's Doug, thank God I got a hold of you…what's going on?"

"Pal, you wouldn't believe it if you tried….did someone try to get you to come early to surprise one of us?"

"Yeah, Melvin….but it sounded funny. When I couldn't find out who to RSVP to, I called the curator of the Gingham Estate. He knew nothing about any party tonight, and when I tried to reach you at your Mom's, she told me you and A.J. were at the estate and that something might be wrong. Do you want me to call the police?" Doug asked.

_Just then Rick's thoughts came to a screeching halt._

"_Wait a minute, who never came, or called that they weren't coming….Bob, Margaret and Tim…….But why? Did something happen to them to stop them from coming, or …_

Suddenly he realized that when the lights went out, the sound of the door closing came from near the locked door, and immediately he went to the wall space next to the door frame. Slowly feeling around the wall, he carefully inched along the bookshelves section by section. As he reached the last bookcase, he saw the wall scone was slightly tilted, and he bent it in the direction it was leaning.

At once a door swung open in the wall paneling, and Rick nearly gave a shout.

"_So this is how he got in and took A.J….." _he figured. Pulling out the miniature flashlight Danny Martin had given him, he shone it inside the passageway, then on the floor. Drag marks were visible on the rough boards, and after putting his damaged wallet as a doorstop against the bookcase jamb, Rick started down the hall.

As he turned down the narrow passage, Rick tried to "call" to his wife once more. "Laurie…can you hear me? I'm coming!"

"Rick?….Darling…hurry…he's setting a trap for you….He got A.J….."

"Laurie, sweetheart…it's all right, I'm coming…" Rick comforted her then asked, "It's Bob Clayton, right?"

"Yes..oh, Rick be careful…he's crazy…." She frantically "told" him.

Just then he saw a light ahead, then nearly stumbled on a short flight of steps. Catching himself just in time, he crept down the staircase, then turned on his transmitter, sending out a locator signal.

"There you go, Mrs. Simon….don't worry, your husband will be joining you soon…for all eternity!"

Now Rick knew for certain who had been the voice at the gate, the man in uniform….and Melvin Davis. Silently inching forward, he came to a doorway, then peered through a crack in the splintering door.

A man's back was to him, busily attaching some device to a doorknob. Quietly Rick came out of the hallway, then waited until the murderer turned around.

"Don't move, Bob."

Instead of freezing, his former classmate whirled around, a welcoming smile on his face.

"There you are, Rick. Thanks for saving me the trouble of hunting you down. Bet you don't have the slightest clue as to why you and the others are here."

Rick shook his head, trying to play for time. He had just seen Oscar and Ron Johnson through a window in the corner of the room.

"Well, Bob, if you're going to kill me, the least you can do is tell me why." He said calmly, staring at the middle-aged man. "I thought you had everything, being an actor and all…"

"You never did think about your actions, did you Rick? Let me refresh your mind." Clayton smiled cruelly. "You were barely a presence on campus, yet when it came to friends, I couldn't get any girls attention when you were around. I wanted Laurie Scott, yet it was you she ran to . Same as Doug Sherman…I wanted to be validictorian..but nooo, he sucked up to the principal and got picked over me…."

"What about Melvin…what did he ever do to you to get killed?" Rick fingered his weapon in his pocket.

"He had all that knowledge in that head of his….but would he take my finals for me…noooooo. And that Betty ..nothing but a teaser…they'll never take me for granted again. Especially that Tim Ski….who stole my place on the baseball team…

Never, ever will you cause me such pain again" he boasted, then held out his hand.

In it rested a small black box, with numbers ticking away on the keypad.


	6. Chapter 6

"No….Bob…don't do this!" Rick yelled, seeing the crazed look in the man's eyes. Clayton shook his head, a mad smile on his face as he pointed at the ticking bomb, placed in front of the last padlocked door.

"Too late, Rick…..Maybe you can save our dear friends, but by the time you free A.J. and his wife, it'll be too late for your precious Laurie. Why don't I just save you the trouble!"

Horrified, Rick saw him fingering the small box, and he reacted immediately, pulling out his handgun and squeezing off a shot. Instantly Clayton howled in pain as the device exploded in his hand, then a second volley sent him to the floor.

"Got him, Rick….let's get everyone out of here…" Ron's voice sent waves of relief through him as the Phoenix chief of police came out of the passage way.

"You take the first room, Ron, shoot off the lock!" he called out, then ran to the second door and did just that. As Rick pulled the lock off the knob, he hollered, "A.J.?"

"In here, Rick!…Linny's with me!" Jerking open the door, he saw his brother and sister-in-law, handcuffed to each other on the floor of a small closet. Diving inside, he quickly freed them, then helped A.J. and Linda up.

"Did he hurt you guys? Can you walk?"

A.J. nodded his head, half-supporting Linda as she wobbled to her feet. "We're okay, just cold and sore, hurry, find Sis."

"Okay…get going..follow Ron and get out of here." Rick urged, then ran out of the closet to the last room, the timer of the bomb ticking down 60..59..58..

"Laurie?!" he called, then heard a weak voice. "Rick!"

"Get away from the door, sweetheart…." He began, then saw with a sinking heart that the bomb was wired to the knob. For a second he froze, then instinct took over and he raised his gun.

"Hold on, Laurie!" he warned, then shot all the way around the lock. At once the doorknob came loose, and he pushed the door in. Squinting into the dark, Rick saw his wife handcuffed to the wall. "Don't move, darlin'", he told her, then shot the chain between the cuffs. Catching her in his arms, he half-dragged, half-carried her toward the entrance as Ron yelled, "Hurry, we've got 20 seconds!"

As he ran, he felt Laurie trembling against him, and he clung to her tightly, praying silently "Please, please, please, let me get us to safety."

Rushing out of the building, Robbie met them, helping his father carry her down the driveway. Suddenly a loud "boom" sounded, and fire leapt from the structure. As they reached a safe distance, Oscar joined them, helping to undo Laurie's handcuffs. Over his head, Rick saw Betty, Tim, Margaret, Artie and Danny huddled together next to a police car.

"Honey, are you alright…did he hurt you?" the older man asked, as Rick lowered her to the ground. She shook her head.

"I'm…I'm alright, Dad. Just so scared, I can't stop shaking….Oh, Rick…he was crazy! Bob kept taunting us, saying horrible things about you. A.J. tried to fight him, then he hit A.J. in the mouth. He said he was going to be the only graduate of SDHS if he got his way."

"Oh, darlin'", Rick put his arms around her and held her against him, rubbing her arms to warm her. "He won't ever hurt anyone again…you're safe."

"Thank you, love." Laurie managed a smile and kissed him, whispering, "My hero, my brave knight."

"All yours, princess…" he replied, then looked up at his brother, gently soothing his wife.

"You know what, A.J.?"

"What, Rick?" A.J. replied, planting a kiss on Linda's bruised cheek.

"I think the only reunion I'm going to be interested in from now on is one in our own backyard, with my barbeque!"

Oscar laughed as he put an arm around Laurie. "That's one reunion I wouldn't miss for the world!"


	7. Chapter 7

"Look at me, Daddy!" Lala scooted onto the top of the minislide, then went squealing all the way into the pool. A constant clicking accompanied her all the way down, and Ramona laughed as Robbie and camera got splashed as their daughter landed in the water.

"Look, Dad's all wet!" Andy smirked, then hollered as he was dunked by a very wet Rick. "Dog pile on Grandpa!" Petey shouted, then all the Simon grandchildren jumped into the pool.

"I can't believe this…look at him, Sis!" A.J. crowed, sunning himself next to his wife.

It was three days after the attacks at Gingham Estate, with Bob Clayton confined to a mental ward pending trial. To Rick and A.J., it was a bad dream fading away in the California sun. Once all of them had been checked out by first Rudy then the local emergency room, Rick, A.J., Laurie and Linda had gone straight to their hotel to be reunited with the rest of their family. On the last day of their stay, the management had thrown the remaining classmates a brunch, and the Simon's a pool party.

Laurie giggled as Rick pretended to surrender to Lala and Petey, only to hoist them onto his shoulders and declare "I'm king!" Petey and Katey jumped into the water then swam like fishes over to him to hang on his arms and yell, "say uncle"!

"I love this…Robin, did you get that?" she called over to her daughter, perched on the diving board. In response, Robin raised her camera and got a picture of Laurie, A.J. and Linda, with Ceci and Ricky posing behind them.

"Got it Mom!..Ian, not funny!" she warned, seeing her husband advancing toward her. Tossing her camera to Ramona, she tried to run away but let out a "don't you dare!" as Ian picked her up and jumped into the pool.

"This is too fun, guys." Laurie told the others, then laughed as Rick managed to climb out of the pool and come shake himself over her. "Rick! You're just as bad as Jack!"

"Oh I am, am I!" he snickered, then picked her up and plopped down in her chair, settling Laurie on his lap. "Hmmm, isn't this better?"

"Only one thing would be better…" she told him, then giggled as he kissed her neck.

"Only one?" he whispered. At that Laurie kissed him, then said, "That's two."

At that A.J. and Linda shook their heads. "Okay you guys, time to go in, we still have to pack!" Linda called, just as the afternoon breeze blew in.

"Aw…do we have to?" the kids began to moan, only for Robin to announce, "One last picture in the pool…everyone get in!"

"Come on, Grandpa, Daddy….Mom.." as the chorus went up, A.J. looked at Linda, who shrugged her shoulders. "I will if you will…"

"Okay, you asked for it!" A.J. yelled, then took her hand and the two of them ran to the deep end of the pool and jumped in. Rick looked at his wife, knowing she didn't like being pushed or falling in any kind of water.

"It's okay, darling…" Laurie smiled, then put her arms around his neck as he stood up. "Last one in is a jellyfish!" he hollered, then carried her to the edge of the water and jumped in. "Oh, that's cold!" Laurie squealed as they surfaced, then everyone surrounded them as they swam to the shallow end.

"Okay, I've got the timer on…everyone say "ice cream!" Robin called out, setting up her camera, then rushing back down the steps into the water. Joining Ian and their children, she turned around as the flash went off.

"Now that's a picture…"

"Grammy!" Melly and Robin yelled, as Cecilia appeared at the pool gate, Oscar and Rudy behind her. "Dad…can you set the timer and come stand behind us, the three of you?" Rick said, hoisting Laurie in his arms again.

"Okay…one, two, three, say stinky cheese!" Oscar told them, then he and Rudy stood at the edge of the pool with Cecilia between them. As the flash went off twice, a cheer went up as the two older men planted kisses on her.

"You….sneaky devils!" Cecilia laughed, then dodged as wet grandchildren and nieces and nephews descended on her.

Watching their mom handing out towels and hugs, Rick looked at A.J. as they climbed out of the pool then helped Laurie and Linda out. "Now this is the best kind of reunion." He said quietly.

"This is the only kind of reunion I ever want to go to again." A.J. answered.

"Great minds do think alike." Linda added, as Laurie grinned and told Rick, "Home?"

"As fast as I can drive us…."

Fin


End file.
